Cox Plate form can be done for a good track rating after Moonee Valley track manger Marty Synan has predicted a track upgrade from a dead 5 for Saturday’s mammoth ten race program.
It's A Dundeel is the current favourite for the Cox Plate. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
With the Bureau Of Meteorology only forecasting a few showers for Melbourne over the next couple of days, Synan says that he fully expects the track to be a good 3 for the running of the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m).
Moonee Valley is currently rated a dead 5 after receiving another four and half mms of rain overnight but Synan is expecting a dead 4 rating for tomorrow night’s Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) meeting.
“I’m at a ‘dead 5’ now with a penetrometer at 4.88, but no rain today and we’ll race at a ‘dead 4’ tomorrow night,” Synan told Racing Network.
“And, if we don’t get any more from now until Saturday I’m very confident we’ll be on a ‘good 3’ for Cox Plate day on Saturday,”
A good 3 rating would please most runners but a track worse that dead wouldn’t affect the 2013 Cox Plate form for Fiorente, Foreteller, Seville, Puissance De Lune, It’s A Dundeel, Long John and Mull Of Killough all of whom have won a slow track.
The rail is positioned in the true position for the Friday night and currently listed as two metres for Saturday, but Synan is contemplating pushing it out to three metres except for the 1000m chute which will remain at two.
“The rail position for Saturday is currently at two metres,” Synan said.
“A final decision will be made today if we race three metres and we will update you if any change.”
“The two-year-old race has a full field so it’s the only race where the two-metre rail would be in effect.”
The 2013 Cox Plate market order has Kiwi star It’s A Dundeel the favourite at $4 just ahead of the Darren Weir trained Puissance De Lune at $4.40 and Fiorente at $5.
Caulfield Guineas winner Long John remains under double figures at $8 while Turnbull Stakes winner Happy Trails has drifted slightly to $13.
